Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Architecture, Design and Planning School
An advanced critical analysis of world architecture in the aftermath of modernity considering the interplay between ideologies and practices.
ARCH7014 is the core history and theory course offered in the Masters of Architecture. It offers a critical analysis of contemporary world architecture in the aftermath of modernity (late 1980s to the present), tracing ideas emerging from the post-war period and the transformations in the theory, ideologies and practices of architecture. This course will develop students’ abilities to formulate and complete an advanced research project as they acquire skills in the analysis and evaluation of architecture.
Course requirements
Assumed background
A Bachelor of Architectural Design or equivalent with either a GPA of 4.5 or above, or a GPA of 4.0 with 6 months post graduate full-time experience to the satisfaction of the Executive Dean.
Restrictions
MArch students only
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to develop students’ ability to analyse, synthesise and evaluate issues in contemporary architectural discourse, and develop an account of the opportunities and constraints of contemporary practice.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify and compare the varied approaches and ideologies in contemporary architecture.
LO2.
Explain and evaluate issues in contemporary architectural discourse in relation to the history of architecture, and external forces in culture and society.
LO3.
Analyse and evaluate the opportunities and constraints of contemporary practice.
LO4.
Individually and/or collaboratively develop and conduct a research project using advanced modes of inquiry.
LO5.
Independently argue an account of contemporary architecture for both specialist and general audiences.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Essay/ Critique, Presentation, Poster | Exhibition Poster | 50% |
Submission 11/04/2025 2:00 pm Presentations 8am-12pm 14/04/2025 |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
50% IVAH |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Exhibition Poster
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Essay/ Critique, Presentation, Poster
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
Submission 11/04/2025 2:00 pm
Presentations 8am-12pm 14/04/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
This assessment item is made up of two research tasks, and is to be completed individually. It culminates in the presentation of an Exhibition Poster that combines both text and graphic requirements that critically analyse a single building from the 1980s or 1990s.
TASK 1: Exhibition Poster
Students will research a nominated building and to design a poster that presents the project as part of a hypothetical exhibition of late twentieth-century architecture—a period marked by the rise of Post-Modernism.
TASK 2: Exhibition Poster (Presentation)
The posters will be pinned up for exhibition and presentation. While the posters should require little (if any) verbal explanation, students should be prepared to briefly introduce their buildings to a group (1-2 min), and to discuss the key ideas and themes of the project with teaching staff and peers (max. 3-4 mins). Please note that no formal feedback will be provided during the presentation, nor is the oral presentation assessed. Rather, the presentation is to demonstrate the student's understanding of a given building and, more importantly, to share this research with the group in a collaborative learning environment.
Formative feedback and advice on the development of Assignment 1: Exhibition Poster will be given in the weekly tutorials and during the presentations. Summative feedback will be given on the rubrics provided on Ultra / Blackboard.
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged. Uploaded files must contain readable text and not be rasterised. Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission. To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded.
Late submission
The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows:
First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period no penalty.
Second 1-hour block - An penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted
Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)
Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50% IVAH
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
The final exam will be conducted on-campus during the Central Exam Period. It will be a closed-book, invigilated exam on the Inspera exam platform. Students will need to bring their own suitable laptop device. The exam will consist of short answer questions and short essay tasks covering topics, concepts, buildings and ideas discussed in lectures and required readings. NOTE: Knowledge of supplementary readings is NOT required, but will assist higher level achievement in short essay tasks.
In-person assessment not permitting use of AI or MT: This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied to receive a specific grade in the course. This assessment item is designated as a Hurdle in this course. This means a minimum achievement of 50% (a grade of 4) is required for this assessment item in order to pass the course. Meeting the hurdle requirement for a course does not guarantee a passing grade for the course and in order to pass this course, students also need to achieve a minimum grade of 4 overall.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Identity verified assessment with a hurdle (IVAH)
To meet assessment validity and integrity obligations, this course includes at least one piece of individual Identity Verified Assessment with a Hurdle (IVAH) that is unambiguously completed by that student, and in which a minimum level of achievement is reached. IVAH assessment item(s) contribute at least 30% towards the final grade. Examples of IVAH items include any activity in which a student’s individual performance is directly monitored, such as performances, fieldwork, oral assessment (including design critiques), design studio project work and invigilated exams. In order to pass this course students must achieve a minimum grade for the IVAH designated assessment item(s) as stated in the Assessment Task Description in the ECP.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 12 |
Lecture |
Lecture Week 1 - Introduction / Skills Development Week 2 - Architecture after Modernism / The Persistence of Modernism Week 3 - Postmodernism, Post-Modernism, PoMo / Post-Modernism in the 1980s Week 4 - Post-Modernism Now / Skills Development 2 Week 5 - From Plan to Surface / Skills Development 3 Week 6 - Technology and the Return of Ornament / The Performance of the Façade (and its Effects) Week 7 - Sustainable Architecture 1: The Interconnectedness of Building and the Environment / Sustainable Architecture 2: The Emergence of Preservation and Adaptive Reuse Week 8 - Poster Presentations Week 9 - Starachitecture, Pritzkers, Spectacle, Gender Week 10 - No Lecture (Public Holiday) Week 11 - Architecture & Japan's Bubble Economy / The Architecture of Post-Bubble Japan / Skills Development 4 Week 12 - Expanded Practice 1: Art and Architecture / Expanded Practice 2: Exhibiting Architecture Week 13 - No Lecture Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Multiple weeks From Week 3 To Week 12 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial Week 1 - No Tutorial Week 2 - No Tutorial Week 3 - Discuss week 2 & 3 readings. As a group, use readings to situate building selections and test ideas for Assignment 1. Week 4 - Discuss reading / Assignment 1: Group discussion of approaches to poster and writing tasks (structure, style and content) Week 5 - Discuss reading / Assignment 1: Poster development with peers (graphics and design ideas) Week 6 - Discuss reading / Assignment 1: Peer review of draft texts with focus on referencing Week 7 - Discuss reading / Assignment 1: Oral presentation preparation Week 8 - No Tutorial (Assignment 1 Poster Presentations) Week 9 - No Tutorial Week 10 - No Tutorial (Public Holiday) Week 11 - Discuss reading / Exam preparation Week 12 - Discuss reading / Exam preparation Week 13 - No Lecture Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.